Sacrifice
by NightcatMau
Summary: When Valkyrie has a falling out with Solomon she realizes that sometimes to show you care about someone, you have to let that person go. Sad, one-shot. Wreathkyrie, kind of.


A/N: I don't own Wreath, Valkyrie or Steph. This isn't really much of a story, I actually had a nightmare early this morning and this was the result. Val is in her 20's I guess. And here the reflection was good, not evil and was always there for Val like a sister.

* * *

Valkyrie Cain stared at her reflection, not quite able to believe the young woman was defending Solomon of all people. Valkyrie, for reasons she wouldn't tell him, had stopped working with the Necromancer, and Solomon, having assumed the worst, had torn into Valkyrie with such a savage dressing down that she still had tears in her eyes. "How can you just abandon him?" Her reflection, Stephanie, asked angrily.

The young women had always been there for one another and Steph had saved her life more than once so Valkyrie told her the truth. "It isn't what he thinks. But you don't understand, Steph. Don't you remember the hatred I got the few times I dealt with other Necromancers? I just can't take it anymore, OK?"

Stephanie's face softened. "So that's it? You let a few bigots who judge you for not being born into it drive you away? You let some people who wouldn't even like you in the first place for being an Elemental keep you apart? Why do you think he got so angry, Val? He cares about you. Solomon doesn't want to loose you, you know that."

"He does?" Valkyrie asked doubtfully. Solomon after all, wasn't Skulduggery. He wasn't fun, he wasn't what she'd call warm either. He wasn't about to hold her right now, for instance, he'd snapped at her to get control of herself and strode out of the room.

"He does, and maybe if you didn't act like you didn't need him he'd show you. I've seen how you treat him, Val. Half the time you act like you hate him. And it isn't like you to care what other people think. Maybe you just want a way out. Maybe you _don't_ care about him."

Valkyrie's eyes flashed. "That's not fair! Of course I care about him, but if I get all emotional and start to depend on him he'll just walk away and you know that!" She snapped, then realized a heartbeat later that Wreath had reentered the room and was watching them quietly.

Steph beat a hasty retreat, leaving Valkyrie alone with Solomon and he looked at her thoughtfully. "Is that what you think? That the day you show you actually need me I'll walk away? So I suppose all those nights I kept watch, were what, me protecting an investment?" There was a slight edge to his voice and Valkyrie realized she wasn't the only one who didn't like dealing with her feelings. "I've always watched over you, protected you, and you think I don't care?" He was angry and his shadows were whipping around him is response.

Valkyrie looked away. "Well, you _are_ shouting." She mumbled.

Wreath actually laughed at that, his temper cooling as fast as it had come on. "You're lucky I'm not beating you to death with my shadows." He said fondly. "Of course I care about you. I seem to recall not being welcome in any temple on your account so I _better_ care." He smiled at her then and hugged her to him.

Valkyrie melted into his embrace, letting her guard down for once and admitting that she needed him there with her and that, really, she didn't care what other people thought. Wreath had chosen her, he was the one who _chose_ to stay at her side, to watch over and provide for her. He wasn't a man to be forced into anything and she had to remember that or she'd risk loosing him forever over the hatred of people who, frankly, needed to mind their own business.

But then the truth dawned on her. She knew why she suddenly cared about what people thought. Because she cared about Wreath. And it would be rather unfair and selfish of her to hold him to her when what he really needed was to find a temple again. And he could only find that temple if she was no longer with him. "I'm sorry, but I cant do this." She said as she pulled back.

Wreath looked at her, disbelief then acceptance flashed across his features. "Very well, if that's your wish." She heard the anger in his voice and the pain and then he was gone in a burst of shadows. And Valkyrie hoped for his sake that he'd find that temple and forget about her.

* * *

 **Because I has a sad, that's why.**


End file.
